Guru Poornima/ Vyasa Poornima comes on the full moon day of Ashada month. This year it is coming on 3rd July 2012.
Ashada poornima is cleberated as Guru Poornima or Vyasa Poornima. Today every student has to visit his GURU, worship him and seek his blessings.
The following SLOKA signifies the importance of guru (Teacher)
GURU BRAHMA GURUR VISHNU GURUR DEVO MAHESHWARAHA
GURU SAKSHAT PARA BRAHMA TASMAI SRI GURUVE NAMAH.
From above it is clearly seen, the importance given to GURU in HINDUISM where GURU(TECAHER) is compared equivalent to the three main deities of Hinduism(Brahma,Vishnu and Shiva).
It is believed this is the birthday of the great sage VYASA. He is reffered to as the following :
VYASAYA VISHNU ROOPAAYA VYASA ROOPAYA VISHNAVE i.e he is none other than LORD VISHNU
He was born to the sage Parasura and the daughter of the king of fishermen called Satyawati. He was called KRISHNA DWAIPAINA.
He was the one who divided the VEDA’s into
RIG VEDA
SAMA VEDA
YEJUR VEDA
ATHARVANA VEDA
and taught to his four disciples Paila,Vaishampaina,Jamini and Sumantha. It is this task of dividing and creating the FOUR VEDAS mentioned above that he is called as VYASA(in Sanskrit Vyas is editing).
He is also the author of the great epic MAHABHARATA.